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Tales from the Green Room hits the road with its debut visit to the iconic Capitol Theater in Port Chester, New York, sitting down backstage with Dark Star Orchestra lead guitarist, Jeff Mattson! Recorded in between DSO’s first two shows since the passing of Phil Lesh, Jeff reflects on his memorable interactions with Phil and how the band prepared for these memorable performances at one of his favorite venues. The episode continues with Jeff expressing gratitude and sharing memories about being the first person to publicly play Jerry Garcia’s famed Alligator Fender Strat, courtesy of Andy Logan and the Grateful Guitars Foundation. Jeff also muses about the intimacy of playing at Phil’s Terrapin Crossroads, his jazz and improvisation influences, the difference between West Coast and East Coast audiences and maintaining musical authenticity while honoring the legacy of The Grateful Dead.
The conversation covers Mattson's experiences playing at famous venues, his deep connection to the music of the Grateful Dead, and his memorable interactions with Phil Lesh. Additional topics include the differences between East and West Coast Deadheads, the impact of venue intimacy, and Mattson's reflections on maintaining musical authenticity while honoring the legacy of the Grateful Dead.
Quotes From The Episode
I grew up with improvisation, all the time, hearing it, seeing my father do it, and Miles Davis, Coltrane, playing in the house all the time growing up, so, it just seemed the most natural thing in the world to improvise. - Jeff Matson
The thing I always heard was that the East Coast audience were a little more vociferous. And, West Coast audience were a little more chill, like “we don't get carried away.” I mean, wherever you come from, if you're a deadhead, you love the music. -Jeff Matson
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What is Tales from the Green Room?
Welcome to Tales from the Green Room - Backstage conversations from popular music venues around the country curated by Mount Tam Media.
Buckle up and listen in, as host Dennis Strazulo and Mount Tam Media founder, Tami Larson, dig up conversations with artists - before and after shows - in the exclusive confines of the green room. Barriers are down with stories abound!
Tales from the Greenroom Special Edition (Sweetwater Music Hall's 50th Anniversary Series)
Mount Tam Media is thrilled to launch its Tales From the Green Room Podcast with a special series of episodes celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the iconic Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley, California. The roster of artists that have crowded onto the club's little stages, first at the original Sweetwater location two blocks away, and now at the new location which opened in 2013, reads like a Who's Who of roots & rock music: Bob Weir, Aaron Neville, Big Mama Thornton, Carlos Santana, Elvis Costello, Etta James, Greg Allman, Van Morrison… the list of musical luminaries is endless. In the 80's, the Times of London hailed Sweetwater as one of the best nightclubs in America and the legacy continues! Mount Tam Media has been granted special access to Sweetwater’s green room during the venue’s 50th anniversary year to interview musicians, photographers, managers and the like, and capture their favorite moments and memories, preserving the untold secrets of what has graced these hallowed walls for half a century, before they are lost forever.